Tag: Dante Cephas

Penn State football transfer portal tracker

The transfer portal is open. Stay on top of every Penn State transfer coming and going with our updated tracker.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Sure, the holiday season is in full swing, but the transfer portal for college football is officially open, and Penn State will once again look to be active in the portal activity in an attempt to bolster a couple of positions in need of improvement.

Of course, a number of players on the football roster will take this opportunity to explore some other opportunities to find a new environment that will allow them to embrace a fresh start, pursue more playing time with another program, or simply just move closer to home.

The first day of the transfer portal being open led to a couple of Penn State players entering their names in the transfer portal. And we are ready to keep track of all of the transfer portal activity this month.

The transfer portal opened on Dec. 4, 2023 and closes on Jan. 2, 2024. Here is a look at the latest developments with the portal and Penn State with a review of what players are currently in the transfer portal, who has committed elsewhere, and what players are coming to Penn State out of the portal.

Penn State players in transfer portal: 3

Penn State players who have committed elsewhere from the portal: 4

Players coming to Penn State from the transfer portal: 6

Former Penn State wide receiver enrolls with new school out of transfer portal

After one season at Penn State, Dante Cephas has moved on by way of the transfer portal and is enrolled with his new school.

Former Penn State wide receiver [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag] is officially gone. As had been expected, Cephas has enrolled at Kansas State and will join the Kansas State football program for the 2024 college football season in hopes of ending his college career on a high note.

Cephas entered the transfer portal following the Peach Bowl after just one season at Penn State. Kansas State was immediately among the favorites to land a transfer commitment from Cephas. He reportedly chose a transfer to Kansas State over possible opportunities with UCLA (which joins the Big Ten this year) and Pittsburgh.

The addition of Cephas was one that never quite gelled the way it was hoped to in State College. Cephas came to Penn State following a season with 744 receiving yards in just 9 games in 2022 for Kent State, and he had 1,240 receiving yards with 9 TDs for the Golden Flashes in 2021. But in 12 games for Penn State, Cephas had just 22 receptions for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The entire passing game lacked punch for Penn State in 2023, which is a big reason why the Nittany Lions made changes with the offense heading into 2024 by changing offensive coordinators and pursuing wide receiver hard in the transfer portal. But Cephas didn’t want to wait to see if it all comes together in what will be his final season of college eligibility.

Penn State has added to the wide receiver position from the transfer portal as well. Penn State welcomed former Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming from the transfer portal earlier this month, but the Nittany Lions have missed out on a few other potential transfer receiver options.

Penn State also appears to be returning KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the team’s leading receiver in 2023.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Crystal ball prediction sees former Penn State wide receiver heading to Big 12

It appears a Big 12 program is the favorite to land former Penn State wide receiver Dante Cephas out of the transfer portal.

Penn State has officially welcomed its newest members to the football program by way of the transfer portal, including former Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming, but a few Nittany Lions remain in the transfer portal evaluating their potential options. And it appears as though one of those players is expected to end up in the Big 12.

[autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag], who spent one season with Penn State after transferring from Kent State a year ago, entered the transfer portal following the season and was not expected to return. Now, according to one crystal ball prediction cast on 247Sports, Kansas State appears to be the favorite to land the wide receiver from the transfer portal.

Ryan Wallace, who covers Kansas State for 247Sports, is the first and as of this moment the only, person on record with a crystal ball prediction of sending Cephas to the Wildcats. Cephas has reportedly been interested in Kansas State along with UCLA and Pittsburgh as transfer options. Cephas visited Kansas State earlier this month.

The addition of Cephas was one that never quite gelled the way it was hoped to in State College. Cephas came to Penn State following a season with 744 receiving yards in just 9 games in 2022 for Kent State, and he had 1,240 receiving yards with 9 TDs for the Golden Flashes in 2021. But in 12 games for Penn State, Cephas had just 22 receptions for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns. The entire passing game lacked punch for Penn State in 2023, which is a big reason why the Nittany Lions made changes with the offense heading into 2024 by changing offensive coordinators and pursuing wide receiver hard in the transfer portal. But Cephas doesn’t want to wait to see if it all comes together in what will be his final season of college eligibility.

Nothing has officially been announced but we can probably expect that Cephas will be lining up to play for Kansas State in the new-look Big 12 next fall.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Penn State wide receiver Dante Cephas expected to enter transfer portal

Penn State wide receiver Dante Cephas, a transfer from Kent State, reenters portal after just one season in Happy Valley.

The transfer portal for most teams closed yesterday, but for teams in NY6 and the College Football Playoff, the portal is open for an additional amount of time. With Penn State’s Peach Bowl loss to Ole Miss last Saturday, Penn State players, if any, will be entering the portal in the next week or so.

Nittany Lion’s defensive end, Jake Wilson, announced his intentions to enter the portal early this week, and as of this morning, another Wilson will be reportedly joined in the portal by wide receiver [autotag]Dante Cephus[/autotag], according to On3.

The Pittsburgh native transferred to Penn State from Kent State last December and was only at Penn State for 353 days before reentering the portal. Cephus produced 22 receptions for 246 yards and two touchdowns during his one season in Happy Valley. Cephus did not play in the Peach Bowl due to “practice competition,” according to James Franklin.

Cephus will be a graduate transfer and will be looking for his third and final home. It never really clicked with the Nittany Lions, and his only two touchdowns happened late in the season at Maryland. He and fellow wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith were supposed to be the top two receivers on this year’s team, and although that was technically true on the stat sheet, it never really materialized.

The wide receiver position remains an issue for Penn State, and the hope is that some external improvement within the group would improve the offense production. We’ll keep an eye on his next steps and update our transfer portal tracker accordingly when more information becomes available.

Follow Charlie Strella on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.

Penn State hosting intriguing transfer portal WR this weekend

Penn State is hosting a key transfer receiver target this weekend

One of the major areas of need for the Penn State Nittany Lions is developing a wide receiver room that is up to the standard that elite programs across the country have and should have.

That was one of their biggest weaknesses throughout the year.

With just the Peach Bowl remaining before closing the book on Penn State’s 2023-24 season, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff are officially looking to the transfer portal to see if they can get a quick upgrade.

It worked with Mitchell Tinsley before the 2022-23 season, but failed with [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag] and [autotag]Malik McClain[/autotag] before this season.

Franklin is hoping to avoid that this go around and get one or multiple players into their offense who are ready to contribute right away.

According to Tyler Calvaruso and Tyler Dohn of 247Sports, the Nittany Lions are hosting Miami transfer wide receiver Colbie Young for an official visit to campus this upcoming weekend.

The 6’5″ 215 pounder originally spent one year at Lackawanna College in Scranton, PA. After putting up 472 receiving yards and nine touchdowns his freshman year, he decided to transfer to a Division 1 school and had offers from multiple big programs, including Penn State.

Ultimately, Young decided to enroll at Miami.

The New York native became a starter with the Hurricanes midway through his first season there and wound up catching 32 balls for 367 yards and five touchdowns. He followed that up this year with 47 receptions for 563 yards and five touchdowns.

Franklin and his staff are familiar with Young going back to the first time they recruited him when he was leaving Lackawanna.

Young is a big bodied receiver that doesn’t quite fit the prototype that the Nittany Lions have had in recent years. This could be their way of adding more size to the position with a player who has been productive at the Division 1 level.

This would be a good get for Penn State to start the transfer portal window at a clear position of need and will be something to monitor after Young leaves campus.

Offensive keys for Penn State against Rutgers

Three keys for Penn State’s offense as they aim for a bounce back win against Rutgers.

The Nittany Lions are likely to come out aggressive and want to prove a point after their defeat to Michigan. With Rutgers being a formidable defense, it might take Penn State a few drives to get separation, but overall, this matchup should be good for the Drew Allar-led offense.

Rutgers is also coming off a loss after getting shut against Iowa. If the Hawkeyes, who own the worst offense in the Big Ten (243 ypg), were able to put up 22 points against an average Rutgers defense, Penn State should be in a good spot to do some damage.

With new play callers Ja’Juan Seider and Ty Howle in charge after Penn State fired offensive coordinator Miek Yurcich, it remains to be seen how the offense looks with new voices at the helm.

Penn State is a heavy favorite at home against Rutgers, a team it has not lost to since Rutgers joined the Big Ten. But the Scarlet Knights played Ohio State tough in the first half, so they are not a team to be taken lightly. are not a team that looks to be easily intimidated this season. The Nittany Lions offense must be on their A game.

Here is a look at some offensive keys for Penn State.

5 reasons Penn State will beat Rutgers this Saturday

Here are five reasons to expect Penn State to get a rebound win this weekend against Rutgers.

Coming off a frustrating and disappointing loss to Michigan on Saturday, Penn State is looking for a bounce-back performance against Rutgers at Beaver Stadium this Saturday. The offense, especially the passing game, was the major disappointment against the Wolverines, as Drew Allar and company could only muster 70 yards through the air. Mike Yurcich’s firing last Sunday makes this weekend even more intriguing for the Nittany Lions’ offense and how they look with new play callers.

The Scarlett Knights are no slouches when it comes to pass defense, ranking 9th in the nation in yards per game (166.2). Rutgers doesn’t present a considerable challenge to offensively ranking in the bottom four of the Big Ten in yards per game (310.5). The Scarlett Knights are also coming off a defeat after getting shutout by Iowa last weekend.

With FanDuel listing Penn State as a 20.5-point favorite against Rutgers, we look at five reasons the Nittany Lions get back into the win column.

5 takeaways from Penn State’s dominant win against Maryland

Five takeaways from Penn State’s dominant showing against Maryland on Saturday.

After narrowly beating a Big Ten bottom-feeder in Indiana last week, Penn State came out Saturday afternoon looking to make a statement. Based on the dominant performance from the Nittany Lions, a statement was indeed made.

College Park looked almost like a smaller Beaver Stadium as tons of Nittany Lions fans made the trek. The fans that made the journey saw a rejuvenated Penn State team that seemed to have pushed the Ohio State game completely behind them after perhaps it affected last week’s narrow win against the Hoosiers.

The well-rounded performance by Penn State was on full display. Only at one point was the game ever in question, and now the Nittany Lions can look toward perhaps their biggest test next weekend when Michigan comes to Happy Valley for Big Noon Kickoff.

Below are five takeaways from Penn State’s 51-15 blowout win over Maryland.

Best photos from Penn State’s road win at Maryland in Week 10

Check out some of the best photos available from Penn State’s dominant road win at Maryland.

Penn State head coach James Franklin had plenty of reasons to be smiling after Penn State’s dominant performance at Maryland in Week 10. In a season where Penn State has had most of its offensive struggles on the road, there was nothing to worry about in a 51-15 victory against the Terrapins. Penn State put 27 points on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter alone to run away with a win that helps keep Penn State firmly in the Big Ten East Division race with just three games remaining in the regular season.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] had four touchdowns, including a pair to transfer wide receiver [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag], and the defense brought Taulia Tagovailoa down for 6 sacks and caused multiple turnovers by one of the Big Ten’s top passing leaders. It was a terrific boost of confidence for Penn State as it now prepares for a massive game next week at home against Michigan.

But before that page can be turned, here is a look at some of the best photos from Penn State’s lopsided road win against Maryland.

Drew Allar’s 4 TD game and Penn State defense handle Maryland, 51-15

Drew Allar threw 4 touchdowns and the Penn State defense sacked Taulia Tagovailoa 6 times in a road blowout against the Terrapins.

Penn State quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] showed visible signs of improvement after a couple of tough performances the past couple of weeks, and he could not have done it at a better time. Allar passed for 240 yards and four touchdowns in Penn State’s 41-15 road win at Maryland on Saturday afternoon to improve the Nittany Lions to 8-1 this season and keeping the Nittany Lions in the thick of the Big Ten East Division race.

Penn State’s defense set the tone right from the start of the game with a big fourth-down stop against the Maryland offense on the game’s opening possession. Penn State started its first possession of the day from the Maryland 44-yard line and capped the drive with the first of two touchdown catches from Allar to wide receiver [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag].

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was locked in at the start of the game by completing his first 17 pass attempts for 172 yards in the first half. But the Penn State defense brought timely pressure and knocked him off his game as the game wore on. Tagovailoa ended his day with 286 passing yards and 2 touchdowns but also 1 interception and a lost fumble. Penn State sacked Tagovailoa a total of 6 times and the Nittany Lions had 12 TFL in the win.

Allar’s two touchdown passes to Cephas showed great touch to both sides of the field as Cephas had the ball placed in the perfect spots as he neared the edges of the end zone. They are arguably two of the best passes Allar has had this season.

[autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] led the Nittany Lions with 91 rushing yards, meaning Penn State once again did not have a 100-yard rusher in a game this season. Allen scored a rushing touchdown and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] added 20 rushing yards and 68 kickoff return yards.

For the 9th time this season, Penn State held its opponent scoreless in the third quarter. That helped Penn State build on its 21-7 lead at halftime up to 24-7 entering the fourth quarter, and Penn State pulled away with 27 more points in the fourth quarter to close things out.

Penn State will return home next week for a showdown with Michigan. Kickoff is set for 12 pm ET as the Fox Big Noon Kickoff Game. Penn State has dropped two straight games to the Wolverines, including the 2021 matchup in Beaver Stadium that helped lead Michigan to their first Big Ten title under head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.